


Children are our future

by Deanpala



Series: TMA time travel fix its [3]
Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Child Jon, Eldritch Jon, Future Jon, Maybe - Freeform, Other, Spoilers up to “scrutiny”, Time Travel Fix It, hes from sometime after the buried in season four, idk yet how much shipping there’s gonna be, ”being an adult is hard” the fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:54:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 9,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24359161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deanpala/pseuds/Deanpala
Summary: Jon is so tired, tired of the responsibility, tired of missing Sasha and Tim and Martin, tired of being the only one expected to carry the world on his shoulders.Luckily Helen has offered to do what she does best, distort.Or; Season one crew has to deal with and take care of Eldritch child Jon
Series: TMA time travel fix its [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1758709
Comments: 129
Kudos: 460





	1. Chapter 1

“I’m just so tired,” Jon says. 

“I don’t want to sound unsympathetic but sometimes- sometimes I’m jealous of Daisy, because she didn’t have to make the choice to stop, not in the beginning. It- it takes so much effort, all the time to be- be surrounded by what is essentially a five course meal as you starve because if you do people will suffer and just keep suffering and- I’m sorry I don’t know why I’m talking to you out of all people.”

“Because I am all you have now Archivist, the only one who won’t judge you on ruminationson hunger.” Helen says, watching Jon try to drink a cup of tea she prepared for him as if it’s edible. It’s rather amusing seeing him try to piece out her hallways. 

“You’re right Heaven help me. If only I still had Sasha or Tim or... or Martin. If only we’d known a fraction of what we know now. I just wish that I didn’t have to be the one responsible for EVERYTHING, the entire world is relying on me and I can barely keep myself from stealing their misery. It would be so much easier if I just- didn’t have the choice in it you know?”

Helen lets out a little “hm” and stares at him for a moment thinking.

“And how willing are you to actually give up that responsibility Archivist?”

“I- why? I don’t understand.”

“I can fix things. You will be able to make the world more to your liking while having to do very little yourself.”

“Really? That sounds- it sounds wonderful I- what’s the catch?”

“No catch Archivist, how good or bad things are for you hardly effects me, and what I plan on doing would cause a great deal of confusion. Worse case scenario, you’re wrong, I eat you and you still don’t have any responsibilities or ability to hurt anyone else anyway.”

Jon thought about it a moment.

“Okay. I have one thing I have to do first but- yes.”

“Not going to ask for any explanations?”

“I feel you wouldn’t answer me”

“Hm, quite right.”

——————-

Martins office appears to be empty when Jon enters it, but he can feel him there.

“I know” he says “that you asked me not to find you, and I know you aren’t supposed to talk to me but please Martin I- I need you here. Just for a moment.”

Nothing happens, and the room stays silent.

“Ok. That’s fair. I just wanted to say- say thank you. For the tea, for everything.”

Jon stands up to leave, hand on a doorknob that wasn’t there before.

“I love you. Goodbye.”

And he walks through the door, ignorant to the hand that started to reach for him.


	2. Chapter 2

The walk in the corridors feels like it takes hours, weeks, months.

Years.

He had given up all hope that this was anything but a ploy for the distortion to eat him, but he keeps walking because there is nothing else to do here besides sleep, which brings its own sufferings.

At least he can’t hurt anyone here he thinks. As long as he’s awake, he can’t hurt anyone.

Eventually, a new door open that he falls through, and on the other side is a man who look like him, but is much taller than he should be.

Everything- everything HURTS.

He looks down at his hands, and they are much smaller than before.

The door in his mind is also smaller than before, and the force behind it isn’t, trying to drown him.

He passes out.

————————-

“Are you sure that he isn’t some long long loooong lost child of yours or twin or something?” Jon hears Tim ask.

“I don’t know, he just came through a glowing door in my office and passed out. I don’t know anything about him but I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for-“

Jon sits up, blinks blearily, and looks around.

And then immediately throws himself at Tim. Or his legs anyway, he’s to short to reach much higher.

“Tim! You’re alive!!!”

Tim gives him a bewildered look.

“Um, yes? Sorry who are you?”

“I’m Jon Sims, we already know each other.”

Jon then stiffens and tries to hide behind Tim while also looking around him.

“Are you- are you Sasha or are you a stranger?”

“I’m-“ Sasha gets out, before feeling like something is violently ripping into her brain and trying to shake everything out.

Her nose starts bleeding a little, but it’s fine because whatever that was stops when something slams into her legs as well.

“Sorry, sorry! I just had to be sure! I’m so happy you’re alive!”

He looks at her very sternly and seriously.

“Don’t ever go into artifact storage again okay?”

She nods dumbly at this and tries not to let on how frightened this child is making her or how badly her head hurts, and he frowns concernedly at her.

“I didn’t mean to scare or hurt you. It should go away pretty easily, you just need a nap.”

She leaves to do just that.

Jon then let’s out an ear piercing screech and not only throws himself at Martin, but is practically trying to climb him.

“MARTIN! I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m so so sorry please don’t go away again please please please-“

Martin puts a hand on his head in a comforting manner while giving Jon and Tim a shocked look and mouthing ‘what do I do?’ At them.

Tim just shrugs and Jon looks just as off balance as Martin feels.

“I er- I won’t? Go anywhere? I don’t- sorry what’s going on?”

“Yes, I would very much like to know that too. Who are you really, you can’t be Jonathan Sims, I’M Jonathan Sims.”

The smaller Jon squints his eyes at Jon and sticks out his tongue.

“More than one person can have a name dummy. But I’m you from the future. I guess it could get confusing with two Jons,” he concedes and carries on “I think I should be Jon and you should be Jonathan because you’re boring and mean and stuffy, and it’s a stuffier name. And I refuse to be called that, I hated when Grandma called us that.”

No one knows what to do with that.

“Sorry what? One, that’s not possible, two, I’m absolutely not going my ‘Jonathan’.”

“Hi quick question, if you’re him from the future why are you... you know. A kid?” Tim asks.

The smaller Jon, who is still clinging to Martins neck, stops his glaring of older Jon to address Tim.

“Well I was distorted by a spooky door.”

“A door?” Older Jon says, clearly frightened.

“Not the spider one stupid, a different door. A friends.”

“Ok I am still very confused” Martin says looking down at him “you’re a future younger Jon?”

“Yeah.”

“Then why are you being so mean to him?”

“Because he hasn’t gone through his character development yet and he’s mean to you.”

“You two aren’t really buying this are you? It doesn’t make any sense, and it’s not possible! This thing hurt Sasha just now, and you’re going to just trust it?”

Having an evil child doppelgänger was at this point, Jon reminded himself, the weirdest thing most of the had been through. He just needed to be patient and understanding, not something he was very skilled at but he could at least try.

“Grumpy because you don’t want to change your name aren’t you?” He goads. Nailed it.

“I’m afraid he’s right, we will need some proof to back up any of what you’re saying,” Martin says. The idea of him possibly being a monster disguising itself as a child has lead Martin to finally put him down and Jon pouts.

“Fine. Martin, I need to whisper something to you.”

Martin hesitantly bends down and Jon tells him his Cv is fake.

Jon then points to Tim and then Jon.

“You work here because evil clowns killed your brother and you work here because a spider tried to eat you. Is that good enough?”

They all nod besides the older Jon who just looks shocked.

“Well,” Tim says “clearly neither of you want to be Jonathan, and we can’t just have two Jons that’s to confusing, so what about little Jon?”

“Absolutely not, I’m not from Robinhood.”

“Jonny?”

“No” he says, scrunching up his nose.

“Please?” Martins asks.

“I love it,” Jonny says, then tugs on Martins sleeve. “Martin I’ve missed your tea can you make me some?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon can’t reign it in, and Martin is not okay.

Jonny luckily for everyone had the foresight to come to them close to closing, because the day had definitely wiped it out of them.

It does leave them with the problem of where he’s going to stay however.

They decided to not involve Sasha for the moment as continuing to be around the person that had just done... well, SOMETHING to her wasn’t the best idea. Door was open for later, but at the moment it was best to not stick him with her.

“Alright, me or big Jon Jonny?”

Jonny looks at Tim a few seconds (Jon has holed up in his office awhile ago) before shaking his head and pointing to Martin who sputters a bit.

“Me? I don’t- I only have the one room and- and I don’t have a lot of experience with you know, children!”

Jonny nods at all of this like he knows it, and points to Martin again anyway.

“That’s ok, you’re the best choice.”

Tim wonders at that a bit, thinking that Martins observations were pretty solid and Jonny turns to him.

“I mean he did make a good point but you hate me and even when I was him I couldn’t even take care of myself and- and Martin NEEDS me.”

“I- hold on, what? First off did you read my mind?”

Jonny flinches and looks down.

“I didn’t mean to, I thought you’d just said it.”

“That’s- we’ll deal with that later. The second thing is I don’t hate you? Why would you think that?”

“You did before, or later now I guess since it hasn’t happened yet. And I’m- I’m less human than I was even then so it just makes sense.”

“Wait wait wait, ‘less human’? What’s that even mean?”

“Well the institute, all the Archives especially, belong to an evil fear god and Archivist isn’t just a job title it’s a.... thing. Ideally nothing will happen to your Jon, but yeah, I was kind of tricked into it.”

Jonny stops paying attention to him and turns to face Martin.

“I don’t even know if I need sleep anymore, and I don’t mind the couch or sharing. And don’t you have lots of care taking experience?”

Martin doesn’t know how to respond to any of this, so he just stumbles out a “yeah,” causing Jonny to clap his hand together.

“Okay then it’s settled! Let’s go home!”

Martin awkwardly trails behind.

————————

Jonny is an oddly energetic child Martin notes. Or maybe energetic is the wrong word. Listless? Either way he can NOT handle being without something to do, which is weird considering that as an adult his job is to read statements that all sound vaguely the same that’s kind of odd isn’t it? That they’re all in the same tone? 

Jonny doesn’t look up from the book he snagged from Martins admittedly limited collection (it’s a crime novel and he isn’t sure he should be letting Jon read it) when he starts taking to him.

“They’re all like that because the eye is what makes them all so coherent and non rambley. And it’s fine, grandmother gave me far more detailed.”

Martin startles at being addressed, and just sits there blankly for a moment.

“Jonny.”

“Hm?”

“You need to stop doing that, it’s not very polite to just, just take something out of someone’s mind without asking.”

It’s sadly something he’s becoming resigned to though.

Jonny puts the book down and gives him a very guilty look.

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to it just keeps happening. I have to try really hard not to listen.”

“It’s- well it’s not fine but I’m not mad at you or anything, we just have to work on it.”

He nods and goes over to Martin.

“I’m bored can we go to bed yet?”

“Jonny you haven’t even ate dinner.”

Jonny sighs like he is being greatly inconvenienced at this.

“Fine. Dinner first then.”

—————————

Despite asking to be put to bed it is incredibly difficult to get Jonny there.

Martins main blame lies on the stories.

It’s simple really. He didn’t even notice it the first time, but Jonny asked him for a story and then he gave it, and that’s fine but then Jonny KEEPS asking for them and they keep tumbling out of his mouth, and he’s incapable of stopping and his throat hurts and Jonny is just looking more and more unsatisfied with the stories and-

The second he finishes this one, he puts a hand over Jonnys mouth.

He notices the hand is shaking a bit and figures he’d look rather shaken and pale too.

“Don’t. Ask for anymore stories. I can’t- I can’t not give them to you. It’s been over an hour.”

He moves his hand, and Jonny opens his mouth to speak.

He knows it’s probably just an apology, but he can’t handle the thought of being made to do anything else again.

“Don’t.”

Jonny’s mouth clicks shut, and he doesn’t know if it was him telling him not to speak or if he heard something he wasn’t supposed to.

Doesn’t matter either way he supposes.

He goes to the bathroom, locks the door behind him, sinks to the floor and cries.

His sleep is not easy, just him telling the stories again and again, but this time, Jonny is covered in eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: hey wouldn’t child Jon be really cute and a little creepy
> 
> Me: instead of doing that what if I traumatize Martin


	4. Chapter 4

Jonny avoids Martin as much as he can. He feels to guilty about the night before to look him in the eye, and he doesn’t want to scare him.

So he eats the breakfast that tastes like ash (everything does when he’s this hungry) and does everything he’s told without a word.

He doesn’t quite know what to do with himself. He thought the entire point of this was to stop the struggle and the guilt but he’s already hurt half the people here and he and Jon dont like each other because they have common sense, and he’s really quite bored and hungry.

He sees Tim reading a statement and crawls into his lap.

Tim stammers a bit at this and Jonny purposefully pretends not to notice. That’s what nice people do, they pretend to not know things he’s sure.

“Hey, little buddy uh.... whatcha doing?”

“Reading.”

“I meant on my lap.”

“Oh. Well I’m hungry and bored and cold and you are very warm and have a statement so. It makes the most sense.”

“Right. Yeah, of course it does. Should you be looking at this? We can get you some books or something, but I don’t think a statement is very child appropriate.”

Jon jerks up violently at this.

“No! No it- it has to be a statement. It has to.”

Tim tries to do a placating gesture.

“Okay, okay it’s fine let’s just-“

“I need it Tim. I’ll be fine, I’ve seen- I’ve almost died a few times, it’s not to much, I can handle it really. Please.”

Tim gives him a kind of shocked look at this.

“Okay. Yeah, go for it.”

Jon turns around a bit to bury himself in Tims chest.

“Thank you.”

And then he reads the statement.

—————————- 

When Jonny finishes the statement he wrinkles his nose.

It’s so STALE, and not very filling. It’s basically no more than a cereal bar. Still, he was starving before and it’s a little better now.

“Thank you again Tim. You don’t have to do follow up on this one, I’ll just give you the notes.”

Tim laughs at this a bit.

“Yeah? Well far be it from me to argue with mini boss giving me a break. There’s no way you’ve already done follow up you just finished reading it.”

“I don’t need to. I just know.”

“Riiiiight, not spooky at all. You know you still haven’t explained that at all, the whole mind reading and everything.”

Jonny looks away.

“I’d rather not but... monster you know is better than the one you don’t I suppose. There’s these.... fear entity god things, and each one represents a different fear that humanity has. There’s fourteen of them, and everyone who works in the Archives belongs to the eye, it’s the fear of being watched. None of us can quit unless we blind ourselves and the archivist isn’t just a job, it’s a thing. From the moment I stepped into that office he- he was meant to become me.”

“That’s- a lot. You said we can’t quit?”

“No.”

“And Jon has no choice but to go spooky?”

“He has to a little. I’m going to keep him human as I can though.”

“Okay. I- one more thing actually. These- fears. Is there one of clowns?”

“Yeah. The stranger. It’s- like an uncanny Valley thing, almost people but not quite. You died killing them the first time around, and I don’t want you doing that again.”

“Wait but- you asked Sasha if she was a stranger yesterday yeah? Same one?”

Jon nods very solemnly.

“They took her and replaced our memories. That’s why- I’m not really ready to talk to her yet. I know I cared about her but I don’t know anything about her and it’s just- it feels wrong.”

Tim hugs him and Jonny lets out a brief squeak before burying himself into it.

“Thank you Jonny. For coming back to save her.”

“Yeah.”

——————————

“Jonny it’s um- it’s time for lunch? So we should probably you know-“

Martin cuts himself off at the intense stare Jonny gives him.

And then he’s wrapped around his legs like some weird octopus.

“‘m sorry about last night, I didn’t mean to I was just.... hungry. I’m better now and I won’t ask again.”

Martin doesn’t know what to say to this. It’s not okay what he did, it was incredibly intrusive and upsetting, but he can’t be mad at him. He doesn’t really understand it but he believes Jonny when he says he didn’t mean to, and he’s not going to hold this against him but he isn’t quite ready to forgive him yet.

Jonny’s eyes are still staring at him as he tries to think of something to say, but he doesn’t have to. Jonny just nods sadly and says “I understand.”

“Lets go get something to eat yeah? I made you tea and everything but I don’t know how you take it so I just made it like Jon’s.”

Jonny follows him into the break room and pours practically half of the shaker of sugar into the tea.

“We like it sweet, but Jon’s a coward and refuses to admit it. He thinks it doesn’t fit his aesthetic.”

“It’s tea?”

“I know right? Like no one cares if you drink sugar you’re a grown man. He’s picky about that stuff, what people think of him.”

“Huh.”

“Yeah. I think it’s more intense sometimes because he likes you you know?”

Martin chokes on his tea.

“I’m sorry? No he- you-“

“Oh no, I don’t- everything’s.... weird like this. I don’t feel things like I did when I was big, it’s all just a bit off. Not sure if I like it or not.”

“Okay well that’s- good to know but there is no way that Jon- he just wouldn’t.”

“He would- does he just... Back when I was him I- not a lot of people were nice to me so I didn’t really know what to do with that when you were? And you were- are- so nice and I was just sure that you couldn’t like me if you really knew me so I tried to be as annoying as possible so you wouldn’t be surprised by it later when I was. I don’t think I knew it though, I’m very emotionally repressed if you haven’t noticed.”

“I think I need a sit down.”

“Sorry.”

“No it’s- it’s fine, it’s good really good just.... surprising is all.”

It’s at that moment that Jon comes into the room and Martin promptly falls out of his chair.

“What are you doing here? I don’t remember taking a lunch break until well after.... actually I’m not sure if I’d ever taken one.”

“Why are you telling my employees they’re allowed to not work?”

“Ah yes that makes more sense. Well I knew what he needed already so it didn’t make sense to make him do the extra work.”

Jon looked rather skeptical at that.

“Yes, sure. Regardless, it’s not your place to do that.”

“I mean. I am his boss, and out of the two of us I do have seniority.”

“You’re eight.”

“Now. Like two days ago I was thirty one and you’re only twenty eight so I’m older.”

“That’s- you’re ridiculous, even ignoring time travel or whatever bit there is no way you are me because I was never this annoying.”

“Really?”

And Jonnys entire demeanor changes, his voice taking a strange quality to it.

“He was a bully. Eighteen or nineteen, I think. He helped my grandmother with odd jobs sometimes, just a bit of cash-in-hand work, but he had always taken a dislike to me. At the time I had convinced myself that it was because of how smart I was, since he was, to put it charitably, not very clever, but I have since come to the conclusion that I was a deeply annoying child. Still, he was more than-“

And Jon was shaking. Martin didn’t know what any of this meant, but Jonny was saying something that greatly upset him.

“Stop it, both of you! Don’t know why you’re trying to drive each other mad, you’re literally just making yourselves miserable! Now Jonny, we have talked about this, you are not to hurt anyone or use your spooky powers or whatever it is on other people-“

“He’s not other people he’s me,” Jonny interjects.

“You know full well what I mean. And you should remember what kind of stress you had to deal with back now and that was presumably without some Eldritch you. Stop it. And you, I expect you to know better Jon, he’s a child goading him won’t get you anywhere. If it’s such a big problem you can tell Tim to check all the information Jonny gave him was correct and then you’ll know and not have to deal with this again, easy solution.”

“That... could work. It’s better than pointless arguments I suppose.”

“He likes your being competent and telling him off for being an idiot. It’s nice to not always be the responsible one.”

“What- I do not I-“

Martin blushes and buries his face in his hands.

“Jonny I’m going to need you to shut up now.”

———————-

Tim asks Jonny to come home with him tonight and instead of politely telling him no he freaks out a little.

“Martin please tell him I can’t please I-“

“Calm down, it’s okay. Now what’s wrong, why can’t you go with him?”

“Well you need me.”

“You don’t need to take care of me Jonny I can do that. Why don’t you tell him you don’t want to yourself?”

“.....imscaredillwanthisstory.”

“What?”

“I said I’m scared I’ll want his story! Tim is- he had a real one, not just a fun one and that’s- it’s mean. To... eat people’s trauma and I know you have your own stuff but it’s not the right kind, and I can’t- I can hurt him much easier than I can you and I’m sorry about yesterday I really am but I won’t do it again and it would hurt him so much more than that hurt you and I wouldn’t be able to get anything from it with you. So I- I need to be with you or at least not with him.”

Oh. 

That made sense.

“Ok, I’ll tell him just. Calm down ok?”

Jonny nods and wipes at his eyes. He hadn’t even noticed he was crying.


	5. Chapter 5

When Jonny comes into the Archives again, he is incredibly nervous.

This is because he’s decided to talk to Sasha today. He wants to know who she is but he feels bad he can’t remember without it and doesn’t want to make things awkward. 

Still. At the very least he owes her an apology for looking into her head in such a violent way. 

“I- uh hello Sasha! Can I- can I sit with you?”

“You’re not going to shake my brain out again are you?”

“I- no! No of course not I just- I-“

She smiles at him kindly.

“Relax Jonny, I’m teasing. I know you didn’t mean to hurt me, Tim explained everything to me last night. And as you don’t know me for obvious reasons, and you’re certainly different after going through the ringer a few times and being child-fied, I would love for us to properly get to know each other.”

He beams at her, and they immediately start talking.

———-

“It all makes so much sense now.”

Sasha lets out a little snort.

“Jonny-“

“No it’s, of COURSE the Archives feel apart without you, your the most comp- you’re the main thing making this a functioning archive and nothing would have happened if you’d lived.”

She thinks she might be melting now. This is admittedly adorable and flattering but WOW is it embarrassing.

“In your guys defense, you were being driven to paranoia by two eldritch forces that feed off fear.”

Jonny stubbornly shakes his head.

“Nope. Doesn’t matter, you wouldn’t have let us. There is no way that-“

And then he perks up out of no where and falls out of his chair.

“Melanie’s here! I’ll be back, I need to talk to her.”

Sasha just sort of sits there awkwardly as Jon scampers off.

“Um. Ok then.”

——————-

“Chances are very strong that I won’t believe you either. But we will take your statement. And we will look into it for you. Now, please state your name and the subject of your experience.”

“My name is-“

The door opens and there’s suddenly... a kid?

“I know you’re institute isn’t well respected but are you really hiring children now?”

“Shut up. And you, I’m trying to take a statement, go bother Martin or something.”

“But you shouldn’t TAKE live statements and if you’re going to anyway then I want to be here for it, and I know what her statements about already anyway!”

This is very interesting to Melanie as finding out what the hell is going on is why she’s here, but this is also the point she’s realized that this kid looks suspiciously like Jon.

“Hang on, did you have a kid or something?”

Jon sputters a negative as the kid holds out his hand to Melanie.

“Jonny Sims, no relation to him, just a very bad luck that I look like him.”

Jon seems very offended by this and Melanie decides that she likes Jonny.

“Now, you’re statement’s about the lady who takes her skin off right?”

“How did you- I haven’t even started my statement yet, how would YOU know that?”

Jonny shrugs innocently at her.

“I just know a lot of things. It was a Stranger.”

She smiles at this statement.

“Well yeah, I didn’t know her obviou-“

“No, not THAT kind of stranger, a STRANGER. It’s a thing that’s all about copying people and stuff. Miss Baldwin actually died back in 2006, that was just her skin.”

Ooooookay... she didn’t really know what to do with that information. The kid was probably making it up to unsettle her so she couldn’t react too strongly, but.

On the other hand, he knew what statement she was going to give.

“Any other ominous information or advice you want to give me?”

“Don’t go to India, don’t break into trains, get therapy maybe, and you and Georgie should date. You’re cute together.”

“Right then. He paying you to prank me is he?”

“No! No of course not. I just don’t want you to be shot by a ghost or become a meme.”

Jon starts smiling a bit at that.

“A meme? Really?”

“Shut up Sims, this isn’t funny. Surprised you know what a meme is.”

Jonny looks a bit hurt that she’s taking this all

as a joke.

“I’m not lying, I promise.”

“Whatever.”

She believes him, but she’s not going to say that in front of Jon.

Besides, she thinks she might need to go and have a mental breakdown now over whatever the fuck that was.


	6. Chapter 6

Jonny was terrified of many things.

He’s terrified of spiders, and large dogs. He’s terrified of clowns, and being left alone. He’s terrified that he’s going to loose everyone he loves. That he’s becoming a monster and is going to hurt people.

But when his eyes catch on the man at the grocery store, his hand falls away from Martins, and he’s not scared anymore.

Related fact: Jonny feels like he is starving.

He doesn’t notice Martin calling after him or following him, because finally, he can eat.

“Sir,” He says, pulling on his sleeve “I want to have your story.”

And he starts to get it, and it’s so satisfying but then something grabs him and starts pulling him away and it’s not FAIR, he barely got a taste it was like just sucking on coffee grounds, there’s nothing to actually sustain him yet.

He feels tears of frustration start to build in his eyes. He NEEDS it, needs it like air.

Jonny starts to buck against what’s holding him, maybe to head butted or kick it so it’ll let him go, when he gets a fantastic idea.

Whatever’s holding him is probably a person, and THEY might be able to feed him too!

“Tell me your-“

A hand clamps over his mouth and he starts wailing.

He doesn’t realize it’s Martin until they’re outside behind the store, and he’s in the middle of a phone call.

“No look- I wouldn’t be calling you unless it was real bad- no, III don’t even know what happened so I can’t explain it to you can you just get here please? Thank you, I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

Jonny stops moving so much. He can think more clearly now, know what he just did, but he’s scared and ashamed to admit it, and it didn’t even help that much.

“So, you want to explain what just happened?”

He doesn’t answer.

“Jonny? You okay?”

He doesn’t answer. It’s easier to just not be here right now, so he decides not to be.

It’s when he sees Tim that really breaks him. He can just FEEL the statement under his skin, begging to be eaten, and he wants it, he wants it more than life itself.

That could’ve been him in the store. It could’ve been anyone he cared about he would’ve hurt them.

He starts sobbing.


	7. Chapter 7

It takes a good twenty minutes to calm Jonny down enough that Tim can figure out what happened.

“Martin what did he do?!? What happened?”

“I don’t know, he got all weird and then this guy started giving him his statement and he didn’t even seem to RECOGNIZE me-“

“I’m sorry!” He wails “don’t hate me I’m sorry! I just don’t want to be hungry anymore!”

“Jonny,” Tim says seriously, gently squeezing his shoulders to ground him “what do you MEAN hungry”

Jonny just starts crying harder at this.

Martin lets out a frustrated sigh before turning to Jonny.

“Hey, look at me. You’re okay, we don’t hate you. We just want to help, but we can’t do that if you don’t tell us what’s happening yeah? So would you mind helping me out here? Please?”

He starts visibly trying to calm down enough to speak coherently at this and both Tim and Martin let out a breath of relief.

“Promise?”

“Jonny I promise, neither of us would ever hate you.”

He shakes his head at that.

“No that’s not, that’s not true because Tim hated me, he thought I was a monster and- and he was right, but I hadn’t even done anything yet then and this is so much WORSE-“

He doesn’t know how to refute that because he doesn’t know what his future self did, but he instead grabs Jonnys hand.

“Maybe I did, but right now you’re a scared little kid and I’m not that Tim ok? Now I need you to tell me what happened. Does it have anything to do with the Archivist deal you were telling me about?”

Jonny nods softly at this.

“The Archivist-the eye eats people’s trauma their- their statements and so that mean I’m- I don’t know if I actually need it to live or not but I’m so hungry ALL THE TIME now and it’s NOT FAIR. I don’t want to hurt anyone but I just- I don’t want to be hungry anymore.”

Martin looks from Tim to Jonny seriously.

“Do you- do you need Tim to leave right now?”

“What? Why would he need me to-“

“He said something the other day about you having a story and no wanting to hurt you. Day before that he did something where I couldn’t stop talking until he let me. Jonny, is Tim safe?”

Jonny nods vigorously at this.

“I’m better now, I’m not- I wouldn’t hurt Tim. I love him too much.”

“Okay, good. Is there anything else that will help your hunger without hurting anyone?”

Jonny pouts at him. 

“I can take written statements, but they aren’t very good or filling.”

“We can work with that.”

Tim reminds himself that this is a little boy. He doesn’t hate him, but the idea that he not only could rip Danny out of him and make him relive it indefinitely, and especially the fact that he had WANTED to was..... upsetting to say the least. Any sign of hesitance or fear though would be taken as a sign of rejection. 

Jonny starts to stare at him, and Tim represses a shiver.

“Jonny,” Martin says warningly.

He looks away dejectedly.

“Its ok,” he says “I don’t blame you, id be scared too. Thank you for not hating me, you can go.”

Tim might hate himself for it, but he takes him up on it. He can’t be here right now.

“I’ll bring some statements over tonight, just hold on till then. Martin, don’t let him out of your sight.”

“I won’t.”


	8. Chapter 8

Jonny stares at the ceiling above the bed that night and thinks. He thinks for hours and hours about the situation he’s in, about what he’s supposed to do about it, about how he had almost hurt Martin and Tim, and how he had hurt Sasha.

He hears a door creak, looks over at Martin to make sure he’s still asleep, and sneaks out of the room.

“Well,” Helen says, putting her hand on his head “aren’t you just the cutest thing?”

Jonny glares back up at her.

“You lied to me. You said that I wouldn’t hurt people anymore, that I wasn’t going to have to worry and be responsible.” 

She laughs at this.

“It was hardly a lie Archivist, after all, the responsibility of stopping you from hurting others went to someone else today, didn’t it? And I can tell from over here you didn’t even get to finish your statement, so no harm done! Even if it was a lie, what did you expect from the throat of delusion?”

“But- but I’m still so hungry all the time!”

“And I never claimed to be able to take that away from you, simply that I would give someone else the responsibility of you going on a guilt free diet.”

He sags at this.

“If you want, I could sneak you out for an hour, let you have a proper meal without… interference.”

It’s…. Tempting, it’s so so tempting.

He looks back at the door to Martins room and sighs.

“No I- that would rather defeat the purpose of all of this.”

The door behind him creaks.

“Jonny? What are you doing up? Who’re you talking to?”

He looks back to where Helen had just been, and theres nothing there.

“I- Nothing. Just- just talking to myself. Thinking.”

Martin looks at him concerned.

“Are you… are you hungry? Is that what's keeping you up?”

He nods shyly.

“I didn’t get to finish the statement earlier. I wanted to distract myself from thinking about it.”

“Come on, I think Tim’s probably dropped something off by now, I told him to leave them outside the door.”

Jonny perks up at this, and scoops the statements up the second the doors open.

Despite his hunger, he spends a solid minute or two looking over the statements trying to pick one. He thinks he’s craving a buried one.

In succession he finishes about five, before finally deciding that he’s kept Martin up long enough waiting for him.

He feels… slightly better, but he still goes to bed unsatisfied.


	9. Chapter 9

Martin has difficulty getting Jonny out of bed the next morning.

“Come on, I have to go to work.”

“Fine, have fun.”

“Jonny, I cant just leave you here, let’s go.”

“No! I don’t want to go to the Archives today!”

“They have statements?”

Jonny just glares at him.

“I know that, I’m not stupid you can’t just bribe me. I just ate some yesterday I’m fine.”

“Look, what’s this about? Are you too embarrassed to see Tim?”

Jonny stubbornly looks away.

“No.”

He doesn’t really believe him, but he doesn’t call him out on it.

“Good, because you shouldn’t be, he cares about you. You should really eat everyday.”

“It’s fine, I’m not weak, I don’t need to be constantly eating statements-“

“It’s not- you aren’t weak for eating everyday, that’s normal.”

“No, because it hurts people when I do it.”

“Not when you take the paper ones though right? They keep you satisfied so you specifically don’t hurt people.”

He continues not to look or talk to him for a minute or two before

“Fine.”

“Thank you.”

He doesn’t say anything.

—————————

Tim can’t stop looking at Jonny.

For the most part, it looks like he’s trying to avoid looking at anyone, and he’s rather quite today, but the one time he does catch his eye, a shiver goes through his body.

It’s unsettling, but he can hardly talk with how he’s been himself.

He just.... Jonny looks so sad, and it makes him think of when Danny had been little and he broke something.

So he works up his resolve for hours, and waitsuntil Martin goes to the rest room before approaching him.

“Did any of your spooky powers give you super strength?” He asks.

Jonny flinches when he speaks, like he’s worried he’s going to be hit, then blinks up at him in confusion.

“What?”

“You know, super strength. Need to make sure I’m still the champ arm wrestler around here.”

He keeps staring at him like he’s making no sense.

“I don’t think so? I mean I’m super tough, I heal real fast, but I don’t know that I’m any stronger. Are you really the winner arm wrestler though? I don’t remember ever doing that with you, and I’m pretty sure that Martin would be number one, he’s really strong.”

“Are you doubting my skills?”

“No of course not! I’m just not sure that you ever tested them.”

“Well then, only one way to find out I guess.”

He puts his elbow on the desk and Jonny just stares at it.

“You have a mean stare, but somehow I don’t think that’ll help you win.”

“You want me to wrestle you?” He asks incredulously.

“I mean, you don’t have to but I’m not putting my arm here for fun.”

“You know I’ll know if you let me win?”

“Sure! So is that a yes?”

Jonny hesitantly puts his arm on the desk and Tim beats him in no time.

“Ok, so that’s a no on super strength. A trick you can use to help you win is if you jerk your wrist forward, especially on someone who isn’t expecting it like Martin, it gives you a head start.”

“That’s cheating!”

“It is not! There’s no rule against it, it’s just a little-“

Tim isn’t paying attention, and his hand swiftly goes down.

“Hey!”

Jonny gives him a panicked look and he gives his indignation at the cheating for something more transparent.

“I can’t believe you lost the first round on purpose to hide the fact you DO have super strength!”

His face darkens in a blush.

“Tim, I’m not a child, you don’t have to pretend.”

“I don’t know, you look pretty young to me short stack. How about trying that trick on Martin hm? I’ll distract him and we’ll see if you can beat him.”

He rolls his eyes and Tim counts it as a win.

“Just do you know, I know how you feel about staying with me, but I wanted to let you know the offers still open if you want it.”

His face goes ashen at this and he starts stuttering in a panic.

“Hey, whoa. Calm down, it’s just a suggestion. No ones going to make you. Would you at least consider a movie night? Martin and Sasha and Jon would be incited to, if the idea of being alone with me is... well if it makes you uncomfortable.”

Jonny shakes his head on impulse, then actually thinks it over and nods very slowly, like he thinks it’s the wrong answer on a test or something.

“I’m- yeah, I’d like that.”

“Excellent! I’ll check everyone’s schedules and see what day works best!”

The Archivists door opens, and Jons eyebrows furrow at seeing Tim over at Martin’s desk.

“Jonny, I’d like to speak to you privately for a moment please.”

“Uh oh,” Tim says “looks like you’re in trouble with the boss man. Think he’s going to fire you?”

“Tim, I’m too young to work here, and also he’s me.”

“Yikes, all the more reason to be careful then.”

He gives Tim a disapproving frown and Tim gives him a wink back as he walks over to the office.


	10. Chapter 10

Jonny stares at Jon intently, causing him to fidget in his chair and immediately start talking to save face and seen more professional.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve called you in here.”

Jonny nods at this.

“Yeah. You don’t usually- you kinda seem to hate me. As much as I do you at least.”

“That’s.... sort of what this is about.”

“Oh?”

“Yes I- you really seem to hate me.”

Jonny awkwardly pretends to be very interested in the ceiling.

“I mean, we aren’t very likable.”

“It’s more than that I’m- look, for the sake of not beating around the bush, I know what happened yesterday with the whole... monster deal. I’ve been.... trying to not ask questions, to avoid thinking about it as much as possible but I need- I can not last another day not knowing what I... become. I simply cannot.”

Jonny makes himself look at him, even though he feels like he might start crying. God, he remembers what that felt like, to ask if he was human, what was going to happen to him, and to get no answers. He can’t do that to himself, he can’t.

“What do you want to know?”

Jon whips out a piece if paper and a pen.

“Ok so first of all, what do we do to people exactly? And how did we loose our humanity? And why the fixation on-“

———————————-

After the conversation with Jon, which takes most the day, lord he forgot how annoying he could be, there’s a knock on the door, before it opens itself to reveal Elias.

“Well hello, what do we have here? A tiny archivist?”

Jonny yelps and goes to rush behind Jons chair to hide.

“Elias. What do you need?”

“Come now,” Elias says, smiling in a condescending manner that makes Jon feel like he’s the same age as Jonny “can’t a man visit his own Archives? Meet the newest employee?”

A hand is peeking around the back of Jons chair and holding his hand tightly, and responds “stop it! I’ve- he already knows what you are, and I’m NOT a new employee, I’ve worked here seven years and I’m eight , that’s to young to work, so you can’t trick me anymore!”

Elias gets this... dangerous look in his eye, and Jon stands up and sort of pushes Jonny behind him. He’s annoying as hell (he’d apologize to his grandmother if she were still alive) but he’s not going to let a kid get hurt.

Elias clearly wants to put his attention on Jonny, but settles for Jon at the moment.

“And what exactly did he tell you about me?”

“That this place is a temple to the eye, and that you are very good at manipulating people, and probably aren’t human.”

Elias “hmmms” at this and the dangerous look disappears.

He does however, come closer, and grab the hand attached to Jons arm, pulling Jonny, who shouts in surprise, in front of him.

Jonny of course, tries his best to squirm out of Elias’s grip, but there’s not much he can do.

“Let me go!”

“Relax,” he says as he kneels down to his level, and very closely looks him over “I just want to see you.”

After a long tense moment, Elias suddenly lets him go and stands.

He seems to practically glow, his eyes bright with excitement about something that Jon can’t place.

“I wouldn’t worry to much about me hurting anyone, you all seem to be doing exemplary down here,” he says to Jon, acting like Jonny isn’t there and he didn’t just stare at him for a full two minutes “keep up the good work.”

He goes to leave before glancing over his shoulder one last time.

“And I would recommend keeping an eye on him, we wouldn’t want to damage our newest member, would we?”


	11. Chapter 11

After Elias leaves, Jon walks Jonny out and tries to slow his own heart. He’s never been afraid of Elias more than you are any boss, but the way he looked at the child version of himself, like he was some sort of prize-

It sends shivers down his spine.

Martin perks up as soon as they come out and Tim casually says.

“Jon didn’t fire you did he? Give you a mark on your work record?”

Jonny scrunches his face up at Tim.

“I’m to young to have a job now.”

“Yeah Tim,” Sasha says “child labor is illegal in case you forgot. Besides, what would the paper work even look like for that? ‘I’m firing myself whose not on the pay role, doesn’t work here, but still does all the duties I would’ probably won’t fly.”

Jon just sighs.

“I didn’t do anything, we just talked but... Jonny has informed me Elias is vaguely evil, and he was eyeing him like he was a fully cooked meal or something. I think he threatened him? I’m not entirely sure.”

“Shit, really?” Sasha says “I thought he was just an average white upper class man.”

“I knew he was a creep, if he’s touched a hair on anyone’s head-“

Martin flies out of his seat at this and starts checking Jonny over like he might be wounded. The sight makes Jon’s heart melt a little. It’s nice to see someone so concerned over him.

“Are you ok? He didn’t do anything else?”

“Martin really, I’m fine, he was just ominous, nothing new.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes, I promise, I’m ok.”

“Good” he says, bringing Jonny into a tight embrace.

He then lets go of Jonny and grabs Jon by the shoulders.

“And you? You’re ok?”

“I’m a bit unsettled obviously, but no, I’m fine.”

“Well,” Tim says a bit haltingly, “that settles it. We are clearly unsafe, so we have to have a sleep over at mine, no one left behind.”

“But-“ Jonny starts.

“No buts. We’ll bring over statements if you’re so worried about getting hungry halfway through, but we ARE having a sleep over.”

“Oh so when he takes home work it’s fine but when I do it’s a crime. And I also am not going.” Jon grouses, not out of any real complaint but mostly because this feels like the time he should grouse.

Surprisingly it’s Martin who refutes this instead of Tim.

“One, he is you, two, we are constantly trying to make you eat more, and they’re food to him, and three, you are absolutely coming, both of you.”

“I wonder,” Sasha starts “if Jonny could eat our fear if it was generated from a horror movie or something.”

“That’s a good thought! I haven’t tried it, and I don’t think it’d be as filling as a statement because it’s generated, but maybe!”

“He is absolutely not watching any horror films.” Martin says sternly.

——————-

Several hours later, the four of them are trying to figure out how to get up without waking Jonny, who somehow ended up sprawled over all their laps to sleep.

“You know,” Sasha whispers, elbowing Jon “you’re a really cute kid.”

“I absolutely was NOT,” he hisses quietly, “I was a nuisance.”

“Slander,” Martin says “he’s a sweetheart.”

“He is,” Tim adds “I think Jon might look like this if he ever slept to though, gave work a break and just let himself have some peace for once.”

“I am right here you know, and I hate all of you.”

Jonny takes that exact moment to let out a snuffle and bury himself further into the group.

“Blatantly untrue, proof is in the pudding.” Sasha says with a shit eating grin.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally never intended to write anything about jon and Daisy but I have feelings for them so I guess. Also two jons need more bonding.

When Jonny wakes up, he is looking directly up into his own awkward face.

“Morning,” he says sounding slightly pained.

“Did you sleep at all last night?” Jonny asks.

“It was uncomfortable with the others just right there” Jon whispers.

Jonny nods. This is understandable.

“I forgot what that was like. Me and Daisy frequently- well.”

“Is- is Daisy like- is she our partner?”

Jonny’s face twists up in disgust a little.

“Ew no. She was- she’s complicated. We were all scared of being alone there for awhile and- trauma bonds change a lot. She’s the only one who got what it was like to be scared of hurting other people. She didn’t judge me, but still held me accountable. It was nice. I think we both needed that, and we were all that was really left.”

He lets out a slight groan which Jon shushes, not wanting to wake the others up.

“I don’t know how to save and stop her without her trying to kill me.”

It’s said mostly to himself, but it makes something painful twist in Jon’s gut.

“Has she tried to kill us before?”

“Yeah. Few times actually. Tried to make me dig my own grave, it wasn’t very fun.”

“And you were just fine with that?”

“Of course not. I still haven’t forgiven her. I don’t know if I ever will, it was the scariest thing that ever happened to me but- she was my best friend their for awhile.”

“The woman who tried to kill us.”

“Yeah. Like I said, it’s complicated, and she was all that was left. She understood me. She was trying to get better, even if it didn’t make up for anything.”

Something seems wrong about that statement.

“I know Tim and Sasha died, but you seem to like Martin a fair deal more that I do, where was he?”

Jonny’s quiet for a long moment.

“I don’t know. I cared- care- about him a lot, and we were starting to get close, but then one day he was just... distant. He’s still alive, but he was distancing himself, and I didn’t know why. He was just-“ he chokes a bit at this point “he was giving himself away, bit by bit, and wanted to be left alone. He’s acting different, like he doesn’t care. Not about me nessicarily just about anything, himself especially. I tried to say goodbye before I left, but he still didn’t want to be found, so I left without. I think he was going to get himself killed probably.”

He sniffles a bit at that.

“Please don’t- don’t take him for granted. He’s so nice, and he’s so scared, and he deserves nice things too. I don’t care what ends up happening to me, and I want to save everyone else too, but they know what to avoid now, they should be safe, but I still don’t know what- what changed, what he’s- what he’s going to do to himself and how to avoid it, so as long as he’s safe the rest doesn’t matter.”

Jon doesn’t know what to say to that. 

“I’m- that isn’t something you should be worried about, you’re far too young.”

“I don’t care. As long as Martins okay I- if you’re worried about me growing up too fast or not caring about myself or something, then I need you to promise me that you won’t let him get hurt, no matter what.”

Jon swallows heavily.

“I promise.” 

It’s sort of heartbreaking to see himself become this, someone who’s only source of stability for awhile was another monster.

Hearing about Martin hurting himself like that adds a whole new perspective to him. He still doesn’t like the man, but he understands being self destructive, and seeing it from the other side, seeing how it effects himself-

Maybe he should start working on that.

He nervously reaches out a hand and runs it through Jonny’s hair once.

“Is this ok?”

“Yeah that’s- that’s nice.”

There’s a long moment of silence of them just enjoying the sensation before Jonny speaks up again.

“Self care.”

Jon has to bite down a laugh.


	13. Chapter 13

It’s rather bemusing to see Jonny interact with Martin. At work, he usually lets him do his thing, but here away from it...

Well. Jon’s starting to think their talk may have stirred something in him.

Jonny follows Martin around like a puppy, like the second he takes his eyes off of him, he’ll vanish into thin air, but he looks.... nervous. Like he wants to say something, but doesn’t know if he’s allowed.

Martin, who is making pancakes for everyone (Jonny had stubbornly insisted that chocolate chip pancakes were for children which he was not, then asked for banana pancakes with sprinkles) luckily notices.

“Was there something you needed Jonny?”

“I’m-“ he stumbles on his words a bit, hesitant to ask “when we’re done with breakfast, can I- can we hold hands or- or hug or something?”

He’s looking down at his feet when Martin looks over at him in surprise.

“I’m sorry, that was silly of me forget I said anything I-“

“Yeah of course I’ll hug you, anytime. Is there- are you feeling alright?”

He lets out a vague mutter.

“What was that?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Ok I guess.”

After breakfast Jonny grabs Martin’s hand and drags him over to the couch to sit by him which Tim finds hilarious and adorable.

Jonny does start getting rather restless and pouty despite the cuddles.

“What’s up mini boss?” Tim asks.

“Nothing I’m just- hungry, a bit.”

“We just ate though.”

His face turns red and he tries to change the subject.

“Hey has anyone seen Sasha?”

“She’s on a coffee run,” Tim says.

Martin suddenly face palms.

“I’m an idiot, of course your hungry, yeah I gave you breakfast but you haven’t had any statements today! That’s what you meant right?”

Jonny nods embarrassed.

“Right ok. Since you’ll be busy with that you mind if me and Tim clean up a bit since you’ll be preoccupied?”

“That’s fine.”

When Tim pokes his head back into the room several minutes later, Jon has put down his book and is also working on a statement. It’s rather cute how they do the same gestures and facial tics as they read.

Tim walks over and snatches the statement from him.

“Ah ah ah, no work today for you mister workaholic.”

Jon resolutely does NOT pout at him, but it’s a close thing.

“He’s reading one.”

“Yes, for sustenance, you are just digging in for boring reasons.”

Jonny absentmindedly speaks up as he’s just finished his statement.

“He’s right, the less you build a dependency on them the better. I don’t have a choice with it and the ethical ones aren’t good, but you don’t HAVE to read them, and you should avoid getting addicted.”

Jon opens his mouth to say something back to that, but that moment Sasha comes in with her arm bleeding.


End file.
